scabby again

Dang – the roads have changed. Yesterday, they were nice, snowy but no problems. Got home from work tonight (I drive) and got on the bike and rode over to get some food at the coop and went to Target – scabs like a few years ago – bouncing around again. Good thing I have studs on. I hope we don’t have another scabby winter

Ok, I get what a death rut is, but can someone post a glossary of street related snow/ice terms? Or is it all the same thing, like eskimos 100 names for snow…
RE: ICE SHELF, warts, scabs… also brown sugar.

Shelbyville is really really bad – cars stuck on the Marshall hill tonight. I got by them (thanks be for studded tires) and rode side streets. Got home and went to get some food with GF, and I am about ready to not drive in that place again – glare ice at all intersections of major streets, bad scabs (self explanatory), warts galore (little pops of ice that stick up), shelves all over the place, some brown sugar in highland, and thank heaven for the mashed potatoes on the side roads (really easy to navigate). I would not want to drive in St P tomorrow – riding will be much easier if you are traveling that way. About the worst roads I have seen in the last few years.

I decided (this is my first winter commuting) to go ahead with the Schwalbe Winter Marathons. Go for studs. I feel so much more amazingly comfortable on the ice shelves and the slush and the ice slicks.
I dunno about other studded tires, but these don’t feel like they slow me down on the dry pavement at all. They make a little crackling sound that sounds like you’re riding over sand, but other than that they’re golden.
I’m happy to pay for studded tires and have peace of mind.